Kiwi for Gmail 2.0 comes to Windows to take on Office desktop apps

Kiwi is a popular Gmail app for macOS users complete with essential features for an email client. Now Ziva, the New York City-based developer of the app, extended Kiwi to the Windows platform to challenge the dominance of Office desktop apps. With that, Kiwi for Gmail 2.0 is now available for Windows users who subscribe to G Suite, an alternative to Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Gmail.

Kiwi lets Gmail users link up to six accounts along with separate windows for G-Suite apps and Google Drive through its premium subscription offering. The cost is currently at $9.99 per year, though there’s a free option for a single Gmail account.

The premium version features global keyboard shortcuts for composing mail without leaving your current app as well as the ability to configure “important-only” notifications and a “Zen Switch”. Premium subscribers can also integrate Google Drive and the G-Suite apps including Docs, Sheets, and Slides. The tool creates desktop shortcuts for all three apps during installation for convenient access.

The tool features a simple interface that does not drift away from the one you find in your web browser. It includes some unique features a well, including the ability to compose new emails in a separate window.

You can also access calendar and contacts in separate windows using the shortcut icons found at the left-hand side of the app. The apps run in their own windows so that you get a feel similar to when you use Microsoft office.

Kiwi for Gmail installs includes a 30-day trial of the Premium version. Once the trial period expires, the app reverts to Kiwi for Gmail Lite, which works only with Gmail for only a single Google account.